My Time in Japan by Ashanti Long

*Written Previously* This has been a great semester and I haven’t come to terms yet with heading back to America. Just thinking about it makes me sad. There are so many good and bad things that happened; however, I cherish them all. Every day I would go to visit my friends at Cheer Jr. which is a small pub in Hirakata-Shi. The gentleman that owns Cheers Jr.  also owns Ages…

Culture Shock by Trinity Strauss

I have been in Japan for about 2 months now. When I first got here, everything seemed like a dream. New foods, new places, first time on a train, first time living away from home, making new friends, ect. I felt like I was adapting well to the new environment. This was until I got more settled in when I started to realize how different the environment was. The foods…

Why Japan? by Ashanti Long

I would like to introduce myself; my name is Ashanti S. Long and I’m a Junior at the College of Charleston. I am a Computer Science Major and I want to minor in Japanese Studies. At first, I didn’t want to major in Computer Science, I wanted to be a Veterinarian when I was younger. I have always loved animals and enjoyed their company. I think I was influenced by…

Kansai Gaidai by Trinity Strauss

I’m Trinity Strauss, a Sophomore at CofC with an Anthropology Major and a double minor in Linguistics and Japanese Studies. I chose to go to Kansai Gaidai University because I loved how the location of the campus is in Hirakata-shi, right in between Osaka and Kyoto. I have many goals while I am abroad in Japan. My main priority is to strengthen my speaking and reading skills in the Japanese…

Food in Japan by Ashanti Long

I have been attending Kansai Gaidai University located in Osaka, Japan since the semester started in August.  I am taking classes such as Japanese (of course), Kanji, Japanese Popular Media and Society, Religion in Japan, and Geisha, Gangsters and Samurai.  During my time here I have realized that food is expensive.  You want to get out and enjoy Japan, but the food is like “wow”.  So, I have been experiencing…

Studying Abroad: Embrace Even the Smallest Little Treasures by Jem Dahabi

We create this picture in our minds of the perfect adventure abroad, seeing the sights, meeting amazing new people, trying new things  (especially food) and maybe even rediscovering yourself. Being in Osaka Japan I’ve gotten to see many big tourist attractions like some major temples, the manga museum, dotonbori, and even doyamacho but some of my favorite things I’ve done so far have been the less extravagant. I met some…

Kansai Gaidai University by Jem Dahabi

Hello my name is Jem Dahabi and I am a theater major with a concentration in costume design. I am currently a junior studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. I chose this program because I have always wanted to see japan and the Kansai region is famous for both its’ rich history and modernity. One of the main reasons I wanted to study in japan was so…